Scones

I guess you could say I'm something of a carb nut... which, come to think of it, may explain my inability to fit in those "thin jeans" in my closet. But I can't help it! I just love carbs: bread, pasta, potatoes, oh yeah... and scones.

I love these scones because they are crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. I love the sweet crust on the top. They are pleasantly eggy and are a wonderful excuse to eat jam. .. or honey; honey's good too. They are a very quick breakfast to make, and they stick with you through the morning.

While I use my food processor to make mine, you can also make them in a bowl with a pastry cutter to cut in the butter and a large spoon to mix. I often will make a half batch (measurements shown in parenthesis in the recipe) since it's the perfect amount for two people.

Perfect Scones

1 3/4 cup all purpose flour (3/4 cup + 2 TBS)
2 1/2 tsp baking powder (1 1/4 tsp)
1 TBS sugar (1 1/2 tsp)
1/2 tsp salt (1/4 tsp)

6 TBS cold butter, cut into small pieces (3 TBS)
2 eggs (1 egg)
1/3 cup milk (5 TBS milk)

Sanding sugar (optional)


Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Put dry ingredients into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a couple of times to mix. Add cold, cubed butter. Pulse only until resembles coarse crumbs with pea sized chunks of butter still visible (see photo). Mix eggs and milk in a small bowl. Add all at once to processor. Pulse only until dough starts to come together and liquid is incorporated.

Grease a cookie sheet. Lightly flour the counter, pour dough out. Don't worry, you'll think it's wrong, but it is supposed to be wet, sticky, and lumpy looking. Lightly flour your hands and gently pat the dough together into a disk about 2 inches thick. Transfer disk to cookie sheet. Using a knife, cut eight wedges into dough (four if making a half batch, as in pictures). Sprinkle top with sanding sugar (or regular sugar), if desired. I really like the extra crunch this addition gives, but if you like yours scones less sweet, you can leave it off.

Bake until nicely puffed and browned (about 10 minutes for half batch and 15 for full recipe). The good news is that you can always tell when the scones are ready because they won't brown up well until they are fully cooked inside. Scones can be served immediately. Simply pull wedges apart to serve. They are best served fresh, but leftovers can be stored in an air tight container.